Labour of Love
by Astrid DragonRider of Hogwarts
Summary: As requested, a sequel to The Reveal. Hiccup and Astrid are expecting their first born. But it seems the gods do not plan to let the pregnancy be smooth sailing. The young, unmarried couple will face more trials and tribulations than they could possibly have imagined. (Set around HTTYD2)


**As requested, this is a follow up story to 'The Reveal'. The Reveal and opening scenes are set just prior to HTTYD2 and the rest will be during or post HTTYD. Enjoy!**

Hiccup could not remember feeling so happy. He shifted and rested his head on Astrid's belly, listening carefully, enjoying the simple pleasure of felling her belly rise and fall as she slept, the slight bump noticeable only to him. He pushed up his tunic which she wore to bed so he could feel her warmth on his face and kissed her belly tenderly.  
"Mmm... Hiccup what are you doing?" Astrid mumbled stirring in her sleep. He grinned and moved back up to lie beside her, kissing her forehead.  
"Just saying hello." He grinned making her groan and hit him playfully.  
"Hiccup, there's barely even a bump. It's only about two or three months remember?"  
"And? I'm excited. That's my baby in there, I'm just saying hi to them."  
"You can say hi when there's something to say hi to. Go to sleep!" He grinned more and kissed her again, letting her roll back over to go back to sleep, but he didn't sleep.  
He'd only found out that day about the pregnancy, so had Astrid. But he was ecstatic; the initial shock had worn off pretty quickly. He was going to be a father. That was amazing to him, and he was really excited about it. He'd have a little son or daughter to spoil, to teach all about the dragons. A baby to tell stories to, a baby to hold and fuss over. And he only had to wait seven or eight months! He couldn't wait that long, but at least it gave him time to prepare. They'd need to sort somewhere more permanent to live, he could construct a crib, get clothes made up, have Gobber make some diapers... There was much to do! He began thinking it all through in his head when his stomach plummeted. He wasn't strictly speaking even supposed to be here right now, in Astrid's house, in her bed, sleeping beside her. They might be engaged, but it was technically forbidden for them to stay in the same bed. Let alone to have been intimate. This child was not going to go down well in the village. Hiccup would have to get their wedding brought forward so they'd be married before Astrid showed properly. He began trying to plan details, murmuring aloud.  
"Eurgh Hiccup. Go to sleep!"  
"Sorry, I can't I'm too excited. I'm trying to think of everything we've got to get done before the baby comes."  
"We have eight months. Stop planning everything now."  
"I'm not planning everything..." He protested "Just thinking about things like, maybe we should get married sooner rather than later. Maybe before you show too much."  
"Hiccup, it's late. I only found out today, I'm feeling a little emotionally wrecked right now and I have probably another hour before I get my morning sickness. I don't know why Gothi calls it that, I get it in the mornings and evenings! Can we please just sleep?" Hiccup grinned and lay down beside her, pulling her into his arms and kissing her neck and shoulder.  
"Go to sleep then milady, I'm not stopping you."

There was a good deal of retching a little while later and Hiccup jumped up out of the bed, looking around frantically for Astrid.  
"Astrid? Astrid where are you?" There was more retching and Hiccup ran down the stairs and out the open front door to where Astrid was throwing up into the bushes. He leaned against the door and sighed. That was his pregnant fiancée. His Astrid.  
"Are you alright milady?" Astrid stood up placing a hand on her lower back and another on her belly.  
"I just spent the last few minutes throwing up endlessly; do you really think I'm alright?" She asked sarcastically. He grinned and walked over pulling her hair back over her shoulders and hugging her around her waist. He kissed the side of her head letting his hands rest on her belly.  
"I'm sorry Astrid. I'm sorry that you're sick now, but I'm not sorry because we're going to have a little baby. And you have to know that I'm going to do everything I can to make this easier for you. Anything at all." She tipped her head back slightly to rest against him and smiled weakly.  
"I know you will babe. I know. I just, eurgh... I cannot wait for the sickness part to be over."  
"I know... We'll get through this together though. We always do."  
"I know this is stupid, but I'm scared Hiccup. I mean, for a start, we're not even supposed to have been together let alone for me to have a baby because we aren't married yet. For another thing, you're future chief, your heir cannot be born out of wedlock! And then, when your dad decides to make you chief, are you going to be able to be around? And... My parents are going to go ballistic when they get back! My father already doesn't like you..."  
"Yeah I am aware of this fact." Hiccup muttered darkly  
"...And now I'm going to have a baby! And we have eight months in which to get married and find a place to live... And what about the academy? I won't be able to run it with a baby, and nor will you as chief... And what will your father say about it? What will our friends say? The village is going to judge me! Oh they're going to call me all-sorts! Especially when I can't drink the honeyed mead at our wedding..."  
"Astrid, Astrid... Calm down. We're going to be fine alright? I promise. I'm going to be there, alright? I know my Dad wasn't around much when I was a child, but I'm not going to do that ok? You are my everything, I will never let you do this alone. And as for everything else," He kissed her head again and stepped around to face her. "We'll just bring the wedding date forwards. Your parents don't need to know anything. We'll just announce after the wedding that you're pregnant..."  
"But Hiccup, they'll know! A woman carries a baby for nine months and I'll already be several months pregnant and so when I give birth shortly after..."  
"Astrid, we'll work it out ok? If we bring the date forward, then you'll only be three months pregnant."  
"You think we can get everything ready that soon? That's only a month off!"  
"Yeah of course we can. We trained dragons remember? We can do anything." She smiled at him again.  
"Alright then babe... We're going to do this. You and me." A dragon snorted close by "And you Toothless, and you too Stormfly."  
"Alright then, we're going to do this. We'd best talk to my Dad and get the date moved forwards."  
"Ok but I'm about to be violently sick again so can we wait until sunrise?"She moaned holding her belly again. Hiccup kissed her forehead again.  
"Of course we can my darling. Of course. We'll go as soon as you're ready."  
"Thank you, now please move so I don't drown you in vomit."

Stoick was sat in his chair doing his wood carving. He'd finally managed to steal a few minutes of peace away from the hustle and bustle of the demanding village. He was really looking forward to being able to hand over the chiefing reigns to Hiccup. He was planning on doing it soon. In fact, he'd been planning to bring it up this morning but his son was nowhere to be found. He'd seen Hiccup a short while later sat with Astrid. Stoick hadn't been surprised at all by Hiccup's absence after seeing them together. His boy loved that girl and Stoick had been ecstatic to learn they were intending to be married. He was proud of his son and of his future daughter in law. He'd been very keen to set a wedding date and could hardly wait to see grandchildren. There was a knock at the door and Stoick sighed putting down his carving ready to go deal with whatever knew drama was unfolding now.  
"Yes, come in."  
"Dad?"  
"Son! Oh I'm glad you're here son. I wanted to talk to you about something."  
"Yeah, I wanted to talk to you about something too dad..."  
"Alright, what did you want to talk about?"  
"Errr well I'd like to wait until Astrid is free to really talk about it properly but I just wanted to run it by you..."  
"Go ahead son." He said gesturing to Hiccup to sit down  
"Ok, well umm... Astrid and I wondered if it would be possible to move the wedding date forward." He said rubbing the back of his head awkwardly "It's just that we err..."  
"Of course son."  
"Wh...wait what?"  
"Of course we can bring it forwards. You two just that keen to start married life?" He said grinning  
"Ah yeah well..."  
"It's alright son, I was your age once too. I understand."  
"Ok, that's not awkward at all..."  
"We'll bring it forward son. Don't you worry. A month should be long enough to make all the necessary arrangements..."  
"Alright, thanks Dad. I really appreciate it..."  
"Hiccup? Astrid is looking for you... She looks a bit pale, is she still sick?" Fishlegs asked sticking his head through the door. Hiccup turned red and glanced nervously at his Dad. Stoick waved him off.  
"Alright I'm coming. Toothless, let's go bud!" He'd talk to Hiccup tomorrow.

Hiccup came downstairs the next morning thinking all was right with the world. Terrible Terrors were singing on the rooftop, the sun was shining and he was marrying Astrid in a month. Life was pretty great. All was right in the world.  
"Son, we need to talk." His father boomed as he came downstairs. Hiccup froze.  
"Ummm... Ok Dad, what's up?" He asked, heart hammering nervously. Did his Dad know?  
"You're the pride of Berk son, and I couldn't be prouder of you. You're all grown up, and since no chief could ask for a better successor I've decided to make you chief." Stoick turned around to look at his son's reaction but all he could see was an open door and a black dragon flying away from the house...

Astrid was shooting around the race course with ease. The only thing on her mind, besides winning, was where was Hiccup? He hadn't shown up for the race, and he was her main competition! No one else could beat her except for him and Toothless, something he usually liked to remind her of by winning. So where was he?  
She shook her head lightly as she watched the others flying around. Oh right, Hiccup was her only real competition, but lately Snotlout and Fishlegs had been giving all their sheep to Ruff making the twins her biggest competition.  
"Eurgh, come on Stormfly!" She said as Snotlout gave yet another sheep to Ruff. She flew over him and clocked his helmet with her fist.  
"What are you doing Snotlout? They're going to win now!"  
"She's my princess, whatever she wants she gets!"  
"Ruffnut?! Didn't she try and bury you alive?!"  
"Only for a few hours!" She sighed again and continued her loop of the course. As she exited the stables and headed back through the heart of the village a young Gronckle sneezed setting a house alight, she flew quickly over it pulling the cord to release the water to put out the fire. Another one of Hiccup's ideas. He'd changed the face of Berk forever, besides the fire prevention, Hiccup had designed the stables, the feeding stations and still somehow found time to work in the forge, the academy and race! Her future husband really was amazing. He was already a chief in the making! Suddenly she heard the deep boom of the horn.  
"Oh!" She gasped "The black sheep! Come on Stormfly, we can still win this thing!"  
She and Stormfly shot towards the sheep like an arrow "Up! Up up up up up!" They were so close! It was almost in their grasp when...  
"YES! Good job Meatlug!" Fishlegs stole the sheep before she got to it! He threw the sheep to Ruffnut "Here you are my darling, mine's worth ten!"  
"You guys are fighting for Ruffnut?!" Astrid asked Snotlout in disgust as they flew after him.  
"I'm totally going to win!" Ruff cried happily  
"We're winning together!" Fishlegs added before being barged out the way.  
"Nothing can stop me now!" Ruff laughed  
"Except for me! We're attached idiot!" Tuff retorted. Astrid stood upright on Stormfly's back as she'd seen Hiccup do with Toothless a million times. She'd learned from the best.  
"Get them Astrid!" Stoick called standing upright, but her head was in the race, totally focussed as she leapt from Stormfly's back and began running up the back of Barf and Belch.  
"Hey get your hands off my sheep!"  
"No sheep no glory!" She dived between the squabbling pair, flipping over and grabbing the sheep in midair  
"Gotcha! Haha!" She cried landing smoothly on Stormfly's back.  
"THAT'S MY FUTURE DAUGHTER IN LAW!" Stoick boomed loudly. Astrid swooped towards the nets but Snotlout was coming at her with a hammer in front and Fishlegs was behind!  
"Stormfly!" She dived down suddenly, circling around the nets once and the slamming the sheep into her own net signalling the end of the race.  
"And Astrid takes the game!" Stoick called out as she flew along the crowds, hanging off Stormfly to hold a hand out to hit the hands of the cheering crowd before they spiralled into the Sky and she flew off in pursuit of Hiccup.

Hiccup sat up from his map to stare out over the landscape.  
"What do you say bud? Do we just keep going?" Toothless let out a rumble that sounded very much like 'nooooo' . He sighed when he heard a swishing sound behind him and he caught a glimpse of a Nadder before it disappeared below the cliff edge, shooting up suddenly and landed with a thud on the ground behind him. Toothless put on a gummy smile and bounded over to the Nadder as a hooded figure dismounted from her, crouching to greet Toothless before letting him run to play with the Nadder.  
"Afternoon milady!" Hiccup called over his shoulder. "Where have you been?"  
"Oh winning races what else?" She said flipping her hood down and walking over to him. "The real question is, where have you been?"  
"Avoiding my Dad!" He said sitting back.  
"Oh no, what happened now?" She asked sitting down beside him.

Astrid held out her hand to take the pencil from Hiccup and began sketching on the map as he talked.  
"Oh, you, you are going to love this. I wake up, the sun is shining, Terrible Terrors are singing on the rooftops, I saunter down to breakfast thinking all is right with the world and I get 'Son we need to talk.'" He said the latter in a deep mocking boom to represent his father as he stood up. Astrid smirked and put on a nasally voice and replied to him  
" 'Aww not now Dad I got a whole day of goofing off to get started!'" she laughed. He laughed back and looked at her.  
"Ok first off, I don't sound like that, what, who is this characters? And second, what is that thing you're doing with my shoulders?" She did the gesture again, shrugging her shoulders around making her shoulder pads rattle. "Yeah, that's a truly flattering impersonation. Anyway, he goes 'Son, you're the pride of Berk, and I couldn't be prouder.'" She put on her nasal voice again.  
" ' Aww thanks Dad I'm pretty impressed with myself too!'" She laughed throwing her hands around in wild gesture.  
"What, when have I ever, done that with my hands?" He asked, doing exactly that.  
"You just did!" She laughed.  
"Argh!" He waved her off and crouched down beside her taking her arms to stop her carrying on. "Just, hold still, I'm very serious." He said pulling a face. She gave a serious-looking silly pout and nodded as he stood back up. " ' You're all grown up son, and since no chief could ask for a better successor I've decided...'" Astrid's eyes widened and she jumped up.  
"To make you chief!" She exclaimed "Oh my gods! Hiccup!" She punched him in the stomach and accidently hit the button that released the fin on the back of his crazy flight suit and she held her own belly as she laughed at him as he groaned and wound it back in.  
"Ah you've got to stop doing that. You're going to wear out the spring, the calibration is very sensitive..." She smirked as she nodded at him before they were bowled over by their dragons playing chase. Getting back to her feet she looked down at him and offered him a hand up.  
"Yeah so... This is what I'm dealing with." He said as she pulled him back to his feet.  
"So, what did you tell him?" She asked brushing him off.  
"I, I didn't. Before he could turn around I was gone."  
"Well, it's a lot of responsibility." She said folding up his map again and pressing it to his chest as she paced slightly away in thought. "I mean, the map will have to wait for sure and I'll need to fly Toothless since you'll be too busy and..." She stopped suddenly. Being chief would mean giving up more than just his explorations and flying with his best friend. A hand momentarily drifted to her belly where their precious secret was growing. She looked at him as the realisation hit her.  
"It's not me Astrid. All those speeches, running the village, that's his thing." He said once again gesturing with his hands.  
"I think you're missing the point." She said, she knew it in her heart that he'd make a great chief, he was already pretty much there! "I mean, chief! What an honour! I'd be pretty excited!" He shook his head lightly as he tucked his notebook back under his chest armour.  
"I err, I'm not like you. You, you know exactly who you are. You always have." He said turning away from her and sitting down again. "Me? I'm, I'm still looking. I know I'm not my father and I never met my mother. So what does that make me?" He asked quietly looking out again. She sighed lightly and sat beside him taking another small section of hair in her fingers and braiding it.  
"What you're searching for, it isn't out there Hiccup. It's in here." She said touching his chest gently. "Maybe you just don't see it yet." She said finishing the braid and kissing his cheek only to find it covered in dragon slobber. "Eurgh"  
"Maybe. But you know..." He said sitting up on one knee "There is, something out there."  
"Urgh, Hiccup." She said rolling her eyes in despair. Did he never listen? But he cupped her face under her chin and turned her to look where he was and she stared out. There was something out there.

It was that something... That was going to change their lives forever.


End file.
